Unconventionally Conventional
by eleven.gemini
Summary: Tina and Artie do Valentine's Day. Their way. A collaboration between Hecate's Rath and Miss Maggie.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors' Notes: **A Valentine's Day present, from the awesomeness that is a collab between _Hecate's Rath _and _Miss Maggie_.

_HR: _This fic started out as a oneshot, written over the course of a few days via email and google chat. _Miss Maggie_, awesome authoress that she is, decided it would be a good idea to break it up into chapters because it's _hellishly_ long. I agreed. :) So happy Valentine's Day! Or happy Singles Awareness day, if that crumbles your cookie! Thanks for stopping by!

_MM:_ It was lots of fun writing this fic. It's horrendously sappy, teenage angsty, and overall, a love letter for Valentine's written by two authors with a similar love for Artie/Tina. So from us to all the other Artie/Tina fans out there, we'd like to present this fic to you in honor of Valentine's. Eat some chocolate (on us), have a smile and listen to your favorite romatic song--be it traditionally sappy or dysfunctionally sweet. Enjoy. You're all love.

* * *

Artie had never really much cared for Valentine's Day. Generally, he locked himself in his room and wrote a couple def poetry jams--he saw the day as a perfect opportunity to further his career.

But this year was different.

This year.... he had a _girlfriend_.

Granted, said girlfriend didn't particularly care for Valentine's Day (and by didn't particularly care for, Artie meant she _loathed_ it--any excuse for couples to publicly suck face and say ooey gooey things to each other, plus a multitude of pink and red and confetti and stuff--well, in Tina's book, it definitely wasn't the greatest holiday ever), but girlfriends are girlfriends and while Artie doubted Tina would complain if he treated February 14th like any other day, he had _plans_.

Plans that, if everything went according to plan, would give Tina a Valentine's Day she'd never forget.

Tina never considered herself a fan of Valentine's Day. If by not a fan, meaning, "despised the holiday with every fiber of her being". It wasn't as if she had anything _against_ love. No, she enjoyed love--romantic love, love for her friends, love for her family. She just didn't care for Valentine's Day.

If pressed, she'd sigh and explain that she didn't understand the need for a holiday specifically dedicated to love. _If you loved someone_, she would say,_then why not tell them every single day? _Hallmark didn't need to tell her when it was okay to love her boyfriend, and they definitely didn't need to tell her to buy him overpriced roses. (Flowers are nicer when they're in season, anyway.) And what about her parents? Her other friends? Were they supposed to be left out in the cold just because she wasn't _in_ love with them?

Not to mention the pink. And the red. And the hearts. The color scheme was something that would make a second grader proud, and she's proud to say all traces of pink were excised from her wardrobe about five years ago.

But still, this year she had a boyfriend. And she did love him. She was not sorry to admit _he_ was a _lot_ more romantic than she was. (She actually found that rather sweet.) So, she was going to set aside her own feelings for the holiday and do something _nice_ for Artie on Valentine's Day.

The Beatles might've said all you need is love, but Tina was putting her hopes on a rather familiar dress instead. (At least it's yellow.)

On the morning on February 14th, Artie woke up feeling--well, he'd like to say brave and romantic, but in all actuality, he actually felt rather nervous. Tina, after all, was hardly the typical girl (something Artie was actually very thankful for, and found charming) and there was a good chance that if he showed up on her doorstep with a dozen roses and a box of chocolates, bad things would happen.

Which is why Artie does not show up on Tina's doorstep with a dozen roses and a box of chocolates; he shows up on Tina's doorstep in his leather jacket with his guitar.

And yes, a dozen roses and a box of chocolates.

Tina gives the house a quiet look. She knows it's empty, she said good bye to her parents on Friday, right? They'd decided to take advantage of Valentine's being on an actual weekend day by going away for the weekend. They'd be back sometime Monday, and while Tina was happy for them (who doesn't like knowing their parents are still in love?), she didn't really enjoy spending the last two nights alone in her big empty house.

When she hears the doorbell ring on that particular day, she awkwardly tugs at the hem of her dress before opening up the door. She know it's just a dress, and it's nothing to be embarrassed of (it's a very nice dress).

"Morning, Artie," she replies, opening the door just wide enough for her to peek her head out from the side of the frame.

In hindsight, the best move at that point may _not_ have been to thrust the roses at Tina, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Belatedly, Artie realizes Tina'd said hi to him.

"I know you don't like roses and you don't like Valentine's Day," he says, "but, um. I got them for you anyway? I also brought you chocolate, and even though it's cliché, I know you like chocolate. And hi. Can I come in?"

"At least they're not red," Tina replies, with a winning smile for him, making it clear she's joking. She accepts the flowers, moving the thorns from where they linger dreadfully close to her face, and pushes the door open the rest of the way so that he can wheel inside of her foyer.

Once he's inside, she shuts the door behind them, then stares at him, biting her lip nervously. "It's a sweet gesture. Thank you, but really, you didn't have to go to tall the trouble, Artie." She uses her free hand to tug at her dress nervously. "Let me get some water for them, all right?" She scurries off in the direction of the kitchen.

Artie wants to say something. He does.

Unfortunately, the dress Tina is wearing does strange things to his ability to speak, and before he can remember how to form words correctly, Tina's run off.

"Um, um Tee?" he calls. "Tee? Wh-you're wearing-you look very nice," he finally manages, wheeling after her into the kitchen.

Tina is arranging the roses in a vase, focused intently on the task at hand. When she's finally happy with the arrangement, she sets the vase on the kitchen counter. Then, she looks up, finally realizing that her boyfriend's followed her into the kitchen. She tugs on the dress nervously again. "Oh. Um, you like it?" Her smile suddenly gets very shy, and she starts to flush. "I'm glad. Happy Valentine's Day."

Artie beams. "Yes. I love it. You look--" he coughs. "You look amazing in it. Happy Valentine's Day. You like the roses?"

"No one's ever given me flowers before," Tina admits softly, letting a finger trace gently over the delicate petal of one of the roses. "Why'd you pick this color? I'm curious."

"It...reminded me of you? Besides, you don't like red roses and I figured bad things would happen if I gave you pink. Besides... yellow roses are for friendship and--you're the best friend. Ever. And before you were my girlfriend...you were my best friend, and still are. The orange ones..." Artie blushes and clears his throat. "the orange ones are for desire and enthusiasm."

Tina is suitably impressed, and her expression melts into something akin to a swoon, even as she's gently tracing her fingers over the rose petals again. "I'm impressed. You've clearly put some thought into it." She sobers up a little, smiling at him, and deftly removing her fingers from the flowers. "You really didn't have to though," she says. "Not that it's not um, nice, but really. I'd still love you even if you didn't give me anything today."

Artie smiles. "I know I didn't. I wanted to." He wheels a little closer. "Really."

Tina swallows, and the next sound out of her is higher-pitched than normal. "Oh! But, it was sweet. Really sweet. But I just um, wanted to make it clear that you didn't have to. I don't want you to feel obligated, but um, wanting to is another matter altogether, I guess. I'm glad you wanted to?" She's rambling by the end of it, flustered and pleased despite herself, and she can feel her resolve weakening by the second. Her fingers twitch and she belatedly remembers she's not wearing her arm warmers today (she kind of misses them).

"Are you okay?" he asks, setting the chocolates on the counter and taking his guitar off. He sets it down gently and then wheels a little closer. "You seem a little...flustered."

"Fine!" she says, far too quickly for it to be believable. Her eyes dart toward the counter. "You brought candy too? And your guitar? You really do know how to make a girl feel special." Tina nervously pushes some hair back behind her ear, and bites her lip. "I um, thank you?"

Artie shrugs. "I figured if the roses went over badly I had a backup. Or two. You're welcome. And are you sure you're okay? Do you need to sit down?"

"Sit down?" Tina looks around the kitchen, which is devoid of any chairs or stools. "You mean, in your lap?" Her eyes glance downward at Artie. "Um. And that was smart of you. To have back-up presents. But you uh, didn't need them. I'm not that mean to you, am I?"

Artie resists the urge to roll his eyes and wheels forward until he can get his arms around Tina's waist and pull her into his lap. Then he kisses her neck. "I want you to be happy," he says. "I want you to like your presents. You aren't mean to me at all--in fact, I'd say you're too good to me. Which is why I want you to be happy. And if you didn't like the roses, I was going to try and make you happy by giving you a song or chocolate." He kisses her cheek. "And yes, in my lap. Where else?"

"Well can I have the song anyway, at least?" Tina gives him a small smile and makes herself comfortable in his lap (it's not like she hasn't done this many times before). "We can share the chocolate, I guess. Since you already brought it."

"Later," he says, pulling her closer. "You can have your song later. And the chocolate. Right now, I think I want to do something else."

"If you wanted to make out, you should've just _said so_." Tina pokes him in the chest. "In the first place. First you turn me into go with flowers and pretty words, and now you're like... okay, let's make out? Or at least, heavily implying it?" She buries her head in his chest. "Grah, I _hate_ this holiday."

Artie frowns, confused. "I wasn't trying to--like, _deceive_you or anything. If you don't want--we can just, um--I'm sorry, Tee. I didn't mean to-to _bribe_ you or whatever. I just--I actually just wanted to spend time with you today and I _swore_ to myself I was going to make it different and I was going to-to give you a good Valentine's Day and then I-I messed it all up. I'm so sorry. I'm-- _such_ a bad boyfriend. I'm sorry. You just--you looked so...sexy and Tina-ish and amazing in that dress and then I just--I couldn't help myself. It's like--it was like I just--I don't know. I'm sorry."

Tina pulls away from him, out of his lap, so she can curl up on the floor and bury her hands in her head. "No, I mean, don't feel bad. You're the _best_ boyfriend ever, and I love you so much. I mean, I kinda wore this dress because I _knew_ it'd make you happy, and yeah, I kinda wanted to make out with you today. But just, it's not your fault. I know you wanted to do something nice, and I'm trying to be nice and I _liked_ it when you were all sweet and forceful earlier and just I'm sorry I don't know what's _wrong_ with me and--_grah."_The rant ends on a frustrated scream, and Tina curls herself up into an even tighter ball on the floor, letting her hair cover her face entirely.

Alarmed, Artie maneuvers himself out of his chair onto the floor kind of awkwardly and runs a hand over her back. "Hey," he says softly, rubbing her back. "Hey, Tina, it's okay. It's okay." Artie fights back the hysteria climbing the sides of his stomach, crawling up his throat. He doesn't know what to _do. "_Tina," he repeats, "Tina, sweetie, will you look at me? Please?" He rubs her back a little more and brushes a hand by her face. "It's okay. Really. It's--please look at me, Tina. Please."

Tina awkwardly lifts her head out of her lap, and wipes at her eyes with the back of her hands. "I'm so stupid," she moans, "making a big deal out of nothing. I mean, you're really trying to make this day so nice, and here I am, just acting like a moron. And a crybaby."

Artie slides his gloves off and smoothes his hands over her cheeks, wiping the tears away. He leans in and kisses her on the nose. "Hey," he says finally. "Listen to me. You had every right to think what you did--I should have waited a little longer. You aren't acting like a moron. I am not best friends with a moron or with a crybaby. I'm sorry I pushed things a little bit. I know you're not like most girls--that's why I love you so much." He tugs her closer, pulling her into his lap and kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Tee. And don't call yourself stupid or moronic. I'd like to think I have better taste than that."

"Can we start over?" Tina bites her lip nervously, even as she's busy embracing him as tightly as she can manage. "A do-over? And uh, can I borrow your gloves?"

Artie smiles, and puts the gloves on her himself. Then he chuckles. "My hands are bigger than yours," he says. "And yeah, we can start over. From where?"

Tina leans forward to kiss him on the forehead, and then she hops up from the floor, darting back to her room quickly. "Give me fifteen minutes, all right?"

Artie watches her warily. "Fifteen minutes. Okay, sure."


	2. Chapter 2

True to her word, Tina reappears in the kitchen fifteen minutes later. Her make-up has been repaired, and most of the evidence of her tears have been erased. However, there are some definite changes. She's still wearing Artie's gloves, but several black studded leather bracelets have also been tied around her wrists. One of her favorite key necklaces is around her neck, and the gold slippers have been replaced with black knee-high socks and her favorite clunky black shoes. In her hand, she's clutching a small blue-and-purple gift bag.

"Hi, Artie!" The cheerfulness is not forced, but she still sounds unsure. "Happy Valentine's Day. I got you something."

Artie takes in her appearance, amused. "Hi Tee," he says. "You look nice. Especially the gloves. Very classy. Happy Valentine's Day to you. And you got me something?" he tilts his head to the side. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

"Open it!" Tina can't help it, she's excited. She climbs back into his lap, tossing the gift bag at him. "I want to see what you think of it." Her hands drift down to toy with the hem of the yellow dress even as she stares at him expectantly.

Arching an eyebrow, Artie opens the bag and pulls out a black Beatles t-shirt with the album art from "Let it Be" on the front. "Tee!" he exclaims, excited. "You got me a Beatles t-shirt!" He laughs and kisses her on the cheek. "Thank you. It's perfect."

"I might have the ulterior motive of wanting to see you in it," she admits, but flushes from the approval in his tone anyway. Her hands wrap around him in a hug, and she buries her head on his chest, finally feeling content for the first time all morning.

He grins. "I'll wear it for you tomorrow, okay?" Artie rubs her back. "Better now?" he asks after a minute.

"Much." She takes a deep breath, then plows forward with the rest of her sentence. "Um, you can kiss me now if you want?" Tina gives him a shy smile. "I want to. Really, truly, promise not to freak you out this time. Love you."

Artie looks at her a minute and, when she still looks fairly confident, he grins and leans in. "Love you, too," he whispers, before kissing her lips quickly and then her cheeks, down to her jawbone. "I love you so much, Tee," he continues, kissing down her neck and then up to her ear, tugging on the lobe gently with his teeth before kissing back down to her shoulders.

Tina gives a soft moan when he kisses her ear, and her fingers reach toward his chest to clench at the fabric of his shirt. "Love you too, Artie. All year long." She he kisses her neck, and she shudders and lets her eyes drift close, because she _really_ can't say anything else right now.

Artie smiles, pleased with himself, and kisses down her neck to her collarbones, nosing along them carefully before biting them and then trailing back up her neck to the soft skin of the underside of her jaw where he sucks softly before pressing a kiss there sweetly and running his lips back up to hers to engage them in a sweet, slow kiss.

Her hands roam upward to fist in his hair, and her hands tangle tightly as he keeps trailing kisses along her neck and face. When he bites her neck, she gives a tiny gasp, but then she can't help but sigh into the sweet, slow kiss.

Artie sighs at the feeling of Tina's fingers against his scalp, and his own hands trail upward gently to tangle in her hair. When they move for air, Artie leans his forehead against hers. 'Not that I'm opposed to making out in your kitchen, but--" he smiles. "Maybe we should move? I mean, that can't be comfortable," he says, gesturing to the way she's sitting in his lap.

"Later." Tina's eyes are set in a determined gaze, and she's not ready to move anytime soon. Because moving means she has to _stop_ kissing him, at least for a few minutes, and she's not quite ready for that yet. Not after she scared him (and herself) half to death earlier. She instead, she digs her hands into his hair more deeply and reaches forward to give him a determined kiss of her own.

Artie groans into the kiss when Tina's fingers move in his hair, and he leans back a little, running his hands down to squeeze her sides gently.

She breaks away from the kiss and positively beams at him, even as she's smiling at him softly. "Happy Valentine's Day?"

He laughs and kisses her cheek chastely. "Happy Valentine's Day, Tee." He brushes a strand of hair away from her face and bites his lip, unsure. "I--you scared me a little bit, earlier. Are you okay? Not to, like, try and kill the mood or anything, and I want to move past it, but I need to know that you're--that you're okay."

"Yeah," replies Tina softly. "I'm all right. I'm really sorry I freaked out earlier. I'm _still_ not entirely sure what happened." She gives a self-depreciating chuckle. "I love you, and really, you're the best boyfriend I could _ever_ ask for, but sometimes? I guess I get ahead of myself sometimes, and act without thinking? Then my brain catches up with the rest of me and I get self-conscious. Especially around you, because this is important to me, really, really important, and well, I'm still kinda getting used to it. Boyfriend Artie is a bit different from Best Friend Artie. Both are still awesome, mind you, but there are _differences._"

Artie smiles and kisses her forehead.

A part of him feels guilty--incredibly guilty--because he should have known that Tina would need a little bit of time to warm up to Valentine's Day like normal couples do it, and he--well, he acted like a Neanderthal and tried to make out with her.

The other part is so relieved he melts a little bit. "I'm glad you're okay," he says finally, sliding his hands down her arms to take her hands. It feels strange, since he doesn't have his gloves on and the feel of Tina's skin against his skin gives him chills. "You shouldn't be self-conscious around me," he adds. "I love you no matter what happens."

"I know, but I _am_ sometimes." Tina bites her lip and squeezes his hands tightly. "Let's go to the sofa, and um, I liked it when you took the lead earlier. Can you do that again?"

Artie smiles, pleased. "That wasn't--I didn't--" he coughs and tries again. "I felt kind of like a caveman. Like I was grabbing you by your hair and dragging you around. You didn't--you liked it?"

"I like your hands in my hair," Tina replies, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. "Okay, seriously? You weren't a caveman. Cavemen don't stop when their girlfriends start getting nervous. I like it when you take the lead sometimes, because I _know_ I can be pushy, and I love you really, but when you take the lead, it lets me know that you want this too. It's good. Promise."

Artie rolls his eyes, but smiles. "I want this. I do. Badly. And--I like it when you're pushy," he admits, blushing. "But--I can take the lead sometimes. I can. Let's go to the couch?"

Tina beams at him, delighted that he's willing to try. "I trust you. So, okay, let's do this." She reluctantly pulls out of his lap so they can both move into the living room and the sofa in there.

Once there, Artie gets out of his chair and situates himself on the couch and then tugs Tina down onto his lap. "I like this," he says, and kisses her once, then twice gently, before deepening the second kiss and running his fingers back up through her hair.

"Me too," replies Tina, as her hands move down to wrap around his waist. She hums appreciatively into the second kiss as it deepens, and lets her fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt tightly.

Artie sighs into the kiss and he squeezes her sides, fisting his hands in the dress`s material.

She breaks the second kiss to move her mouth up to kiss along his jawline and up toward his ear, where she nips at his earlobe tentatively.

Artie gasps when Tina's teeth scrape his earlobe and his grip on her sides tightens minutely. "Tee..."

"Hmm?" Tina pulls back, curious because of his reaction. "Say something?" She lets her forehead rest on top of his, but her hands are rubbing up and down his back softly.

"I--like it. When you--do that. With--you--when you--it feels--" Artie can't form a coherent sentence, so he gives up and kisses her. "I like it when you do that. It feels--good."

Tina smiles at him, delighted by his reaction. "Okay then." Then, before she can lose her nerve, she leans in and does the same thing to his other ear.

His response is to groan and tug her closer, his hands settling around her waist.

Tina hums happily and wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. She contents herself with listening to his heartbeat for a few moments.

Artie rubs her back gently. "Listening?" he asks her softly.

"You could say that. I like to sometimes." She hums again softly, letting her eyes shut and curling up close to him.

Artie smiles, content to just sit and hold Tina for the moment. He chuckles when she curls up against him and hums, struck by how much his girlfriend is like a cat.

Tina breaks the silence a few moments later. "Whatcha thinking?"

"You're like a cat," he says softly. "In a good way." He traces random designs on her back.

"How so?" Tina's definitely intrigued now. She shifts a little, propping herself up on her elbows so she can glance at him curiously. "I'm not offended or anything, I just wanna know why."

Artie thinks for a minute. "Well... you're kind of...like, when you're happy, you hum, and you like to cuddle sometimes. And you're just--" he breaks off, smiling. "I don't know. You just are."

"You're so poetic. Shakespeare had better look out, he's got competition." Tina smiles at him, definitely making it clear that she's teasing. "Kiss me?"

Artie grins and leans down to kiss her on the forehead, and pulls back, smug and pleased with himself.

"Not _quite_ what I had in mind, but it'll do." She rolls her eyes and kisses him gently on the tip of his nose.

He wrinkles his nose playfully but then runs a hand up to cup Tina's neck and pulls her closer for a proper kiss, deepening it almost immediately and touching the seam of her lips with his tongue curiously.

Tina parts her lips eagerly, shifting in his lap so she can be more comfortable. Her hands move down to grip loosely at his waist.

Artie runs his hands down her neck to rest on her shoulders, his fingers tightening a little bit as the kiss grows in intensity.

Her grip tightens at his waist, and Tina can't help the small moan that escapes from the back of her throat, but she refuses to break the kiss off just yet.

Artie finally has to breathe, and he pulls away, resting his forehead against hers and breathing heavily. "That was nice," he says softly. "Want to try it again?"

"Try what again?" Tina's brain is kind of a fog at the moment, and thinking hasn't exactly resumed just yet.

He smiles and instead of answering, he leans in and kisses her again.

Tina gives a hum of approval at this gesture, and hands move up to get tangled in his hair again

Artie groans in the back of his throat when Tina's fingers rub against his scalp again and his hands go to squeeze her sides again, only to run up and over her shoulders to the back of her neck.

Tina whimpers into this kiss, and her legs adjust underneath her to wrap around him more tightly.

Artie's brain goes kind of blank when Tina wraps her legs around him and he tugs her closer, deepening the kiss.

She squirms as the kiss deepens, and her dress starts riding up considerably, but she really could care less at the moment. Instead, her nails dig into his scalp and she gives another quiet moan into the kiss.

He finally has to breathe and he breaks the kiss, but doesn't pull away, kissing the underside of her jaw and up to her ear and then back down her neck, nipping gently at the skin.

Tina sighs and pulls away for a minute. She holds a finger out to Artie, signaling for him to wait and be patient before he starts talking. With a determined glint in her eye, she works herself out of the sleeves of her dress, tugging it down so that it's bunching around her waist. With a casual little shrug, she then goes for his jacket, tugging at it roughly.

It takes Artie a minute to respond--he blinks at Tina for a minute before shrugging out of his jacket and working at his suspenders while Tina goes for his buttons.

The minute his shirt is off, Tina wastes absolutely no time leaning in to trail kisses along his exposed chest and stomach. Okay, fine, she might've wanted Artie to take the lead earlier, but for goodness' sake, he was _killing_ her. Slowly. And agonizingly. It was time to even the score.

Artie moans as Tina kisses along his chest and stomach, leaning back and completely incapable of thinking by this point.

Tina lets her tongue lick experimentally along his belly button, and her hands reach over to run up and down his sides roughly.

Artie's hips twitch and he runs his hands up Tina's ribcage, gasping when Tina's tongue traces his belly button. His hands reach over to fist in her hair.

Tina gasps and pauses mid-kiss when his hands tangle in her hair, and she arches her back slightly, lifting her head to meet his hands.

Artie takes the opportunity to press open-mouthed kisses down, starting at just under her ear and ending just above where the dress cuts him off. He can't _quite_ reach where he wants to with the dress the way it is, so he tugs it down a little farther to reach her bellybutton; his tongue darts out quickly to trace the indention, and then he kisses all the way back up to her lips.

Tina lets a shudder trail all the way down her body, she's sort of moaning his name as she's wriggling, and when he kisses her mouth, it's all she can do to weakly wrap her arms around him and remember to kiss back.

Artie chuckles softly against the kiss and then kisses the corner of her mouth before nosing up to press a kiss against her eyelids, then back down, a brief peck on the nose, a brush against the lips and then around to suck softly on her earlobe before kissing sweetly to her shoulder and then down her arm. He flips her arm over gently and kisses back up until he's kissing across her chest and repeats the same process on the other arm.

Tina's hips arch once, than twice. It's a purely involuntary movement, because she definitely can't think straight right now. Artie is kissing her, and she loves this feeling, loves _him_ so much, that all she can kind of do is make murmured hums of approval... and if she's lucky, she might have been able to mumble an "I love you" in there once or twice somewhere. She can't really remember at this point.

He smiles and then kisses her throat before kissing up the side of her jaw to her cheekbone and then down the side of her neck to where her neck and shoulder meet. Gently, he unhooks her legs from around his waist and turns her slightly to kiss along her shoulder blades and upper back, and then down her spine, as his fingers draw patterns on her stomach.

"I-I-I love you," is all she can stammer out. She stuttering, but it's not faked by any stretch of the imagination. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and she sort of vaguely wonders if this is what bliss feels like. Or at least, what it feels like to be a contented pile of goo. Then she feels his hands running patterns over her stomach, and her mind goes blank again as she gives out a soft groan.

Carefully, Artie runs his hands up her sides and then up her back to run along the fabric of the back of her bra. He takes a deep breath (this feels like a bigger step than it actually is, like there's a line here that isn't just physically, like he's about to change their relationship both physically and emotionally with just the flick of a clasp) and, fingers shaking, flicks the clasp open and lets it fall to the side, pressing a kiss to the skin that's just been bared. His hands slide up to brush the straps away from her shoulders.

Tina opens her eyes and lifts her hands up to help him with the straps, giving him a small smile that is ultimately, the most trusting look she can muster at the moment. Her eyes are still heavy, but they're clear, and it's clear she's glad he's the one taking this step with her. "Love you," she whispers, softly.

He smiles softly and kisses her forehead sweetly. "I love you, too, Tee. So much." He settles his hands on her waist and presses a kiss to the juncture where her neck and shoulder meet, before resting his forehead on her shoulder, overcome with emotion. "So much, Tee," he repeats softly.

Tina wraps her arms around him, giving him some time to compose himself. After hugging him tightly for several minutes, she takes a deep breath and brings her mouth up to his ear so she can whisper into it. "Artie, I love you, and I trust you, and this is perfect, really perfect, so don't take this the wrong way, but can you kiss me brainless again? Please?"

Artie chuckles and kisses her ear. "You're too good to me," he whispers, but obliges and kisses down from her ear to her shoulder and then across to the center of her chest. She seemed to like the open-mouthed kisses from earlier; he starts this time just below her left collarbone and then down, down, down to her bellybutton again, which he flicks gently with his tongue and then, feeling brave, pushes the dress down a little bit more to kiss just below her waist.

Tina shudders again as his kisses trail along her body, and her hands move up to fist in his hair again. "God, Artie," she breathes, arching her body up to meet his mouth. "I... love... love ...y-you."

He grins against her skin and then kisses back up to her lips before leaning back and brushing her hair out of her face gently. Before she can complain that he's stopped, he holds a finger up, telling her to give him a minute. "Listen, Tee," he says seriously. "I want you to stop me if I--if this goes too far, okay?" He waits for her nod of affirmation and then slowly reaches for the hem of the dress before sliding it up.

"I love you, it's all right, I want this too." Tina smiles at him and helps him take her dress off.


	3. Chapter 3

It's a minute before Artie can do anything other than just--_look_. He's stunned speechless for a few seconds by the sight of Tina in-without a dress on. He closes his eyes so that he can _think_ before he does anything and then leans in to kiss along Tina's shoulder and then down her arm. He's almost reached Uncharted Territory, but Tina's phone vibrates from the counter and it manages to cut through the haze of lust surrounding them.

Tina groans in disappointment makes a face at Artie. "Can I ignore it?" She buries herself in his chest, knowing that the moment has been effectively broken. "Make it stop ringing."

He smiles and rubs her back. "Sorry, Tee. But you might go check it anyway. Maybe we can try this again later?" He shifts. "I can go turn it off. I'll go do that while you--um. Here Want my shirt?" He offers the white button down hopefully.

"Nah, it's okay, I'll get it." Tina accepts she dress shirt with a grateful smile, and she moves from the sofa. "It's probably Mercedes and if I don't help her now, she'll threaten to murder me in my sleep later. She actually has a date tonight for Valentine's and I told her to text me if she needed anything." She gives a shrug in apology before crossing the room to grab her phone from an end table. "I _thought_ Kurt promised me he had it under control," she muttered, mostly to herself, as she replied to the message.

"I know I say this every time you wear them, but I really like the way you look in my clothes," Artie says conversationally. "Mercedes has a date?"

"I like wearing your clothes, so I'm glad we're in agreement." Tina glances up from her phone. "Yeah, with some guy she met in her church's choir. But why is she texting me about what shoes to wear?" Tina points to her clunky black shoes near the sofa. "She must be _really_ nervous."

"Doesn't she have Kurt for that?" Artie asks, confused. "They're best friends, aren't they? And I love your style, but I don't know that it would go over well for Mercedes on Valentine's Day."

"I know." Tina grins up at him. "That's why I think she's nervous." She sighs and sets her phone back on the table. "I think she'll be all right." She stretches slightly, and then her gaze rests on the guitar in the corner. "Hey, did you bring that over for a reason, Artie?"

Artie blushes, suddenly nervous. "Um, yeah. I did." He clears his throat and scratches his neck. "Do you--I wanted to sing to you. If--if that's--if you want me to?"

"Since when have I e_ver_ turned down a song from my favorite performer?" Tina brings the instrument to him on the sofa, then she settles comfortably into a wingback chair nearby. "I'm all ears, Artie. I'd love to hear you play."

He smiles and plucks out the opening chords before starting in with "_I think that possibly maybe I'm falling for you..._"

Tina listens to the performance with great interest, and as the song continues on, her expression softens more and more. By the end of the song, happy tears are prickling at the corners of her eyes. She's gazing at him with a look of pure adoration, trying to convey how much the song meant to her though her eyes alone. Because right now, she's so full of feelings, of love, of amazement (how can somebody love her that much?), and she's just too stunned to speak.

Artie sets his guitar down and looks at Tina curiously. "Are you crying happy tears again?" he asks and when Tina nods he opens his arms in invitation. "Come sit with me?"

Tina wastes no time flying across the room and wrapping him in an embrace again.

He laughs into her hair. "You liked it?" he asks softly, rubbing her arm.

"Loved it," corrects Tina. "You really meant every word of that song? It was so incredible. You're incredible. I love you. So very much."

Artie is beaming. "Yes," he says, kissing the top of her head. "Every single word. Love you, too."

Tina can't wipe the delighted smile from her face (she doesn't want to, not really), so she settles for wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and holding him close.

Artie hums contentedly and, after a few minutes of just _being_, he leans in to kiss her. Just as their lips connect, his stomach rumbles loudly and he pulls away, blushing and with a sheepish grin.

"Time for food?" comments Tina with a wry grin, even as she's pulling himself out of his lap again and reaching for her phone. "Let's order something and get it delivered. What are your thoughts on Chinese food?"

"Fine," he says, stretching his arms above his head. "Chinese food sounds fine."

Tina pokes him in the stomach with her hand while she places the order. "They'll be here in about 45 minutes. Wanna make-out again until then?"

Artie bats her hand away playfully. "Quit. And...I'd love to make out with you again. You know this. Unfortunately, we have a hard time keeping our clothes on when we do that and... the food will be here in 45 minutes." He kisses her forehead. "I love you?"

"Love you too." Tina grins at him and rests her head in his lap. "And point taken. I really don't want to be caught in a compromising position when the food comes. So, uh, talk to me." Her hands are raised above her head, and she's playing with them absently. "Why'd you decide to try and change my mind about Valentines?"

Artie thinks about it for a minute. "Well..." he says. "I just--it's kind of a couple-holiday and I--wanted to share that with you. Not that I can't tell you I love you or buy you flowers or sing you love songs every day, but it gives--it's a day where we get to just be silly in love and where we don't have to worry about anything else, really. And I wanted to share that with you--even though it's not red roses and chocolates and pink confetti--that's not what it's about and I wanted to show that to you. That Valentine's Day can mean different things to different people. And even though our Valentine's Day may never make it into a Hallmark commercial, it's _ours_ and I wanted to share that with you."

Tina sits up and moves to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Thank you," she says finally.

"You're welcome," he says happily, kissing her temple gently.

They sit like that for a while in quiet silence, and Tina eventually rests her head in Artie's lap again. Still lying down, she taps her fingers on Artie's shin gently, keeping time. Before he can start questioning her behavior, she closes her eyes and starts singing _All You Need Is Love_quietly.

Artie joins her on the second verse, keeping his own time gently on Tina's arm.

When it's over, Tina smiles up at him. "Okay, that was nice. Although we're so sweet it's starting to worry to me. How do you feel about watching a gory action-adventure movie later?"

Artie laughs. "I think we are the only couple who think a gory action-adventure movie is a good ending to a mushy Valentine's Day," he says, and kisses her forehead. "That's fine. Great. Um, when did he say he would be here?"

Tina glances at the clock from her position on the sofa. "Eh, any minute now I guess. Do you mind getting the food? I'm sort of suffering from a lack of pants at the present moment, and I'm pretty sure you don't want me flashing the nice delivery people."

Coughing at the idea of Tina flashing the 'nice delivery people,' Artie shakes his head. "No. No, definitely not. But...you're going to have to move. I have to get in my chair at some point."

"I suppose I can do that." Tina reaches over and hands him the abandoned leather jacket. "Can you put that on? I kind of want to see you wearing it, without the shirt underneath." She puts on her best pleading expression, complete with a doe-eyed stare that would put his own puppy-dog eyed look to shame.

Artie looks at her for a moment, stunned. "S-Sure," he says, finally, tugging the jacket on. He turns, arms spread wide. "What do you think?" he asks, an eyebrow arched.

Tina gives a low whistle of approval. "Very nice, Abrams," she declares. She's about to lean forward to kiss him, but the doorbell rings. "Okay, moving now, so we can eat and your stomach can stop making embarrassing noises." She rolls over to the other side of the sofa so he can position himself back into his chair.

He rolls his eyes, but gets in his chair and wheels toward the door, returning a few minutes later with two boxes of takeout.

"And you feed me too," says Tina happily. "What's not to like--oh!" She gets up, dashing into the kitchen and returning a few moments later with the box of chocolates that Artie brought over earlier. "We have dessert, too! Now hand over the lo mien and nobody gets hurt."

Artie hands her hers and opens his. "Takeout and chocolates," he says dryly. "and action movies. We know how to do Valentine's Day, don't we?"

"And don't forget make-outs and freak outs and cell phone interruptions and yellow dresses and leather jackets, and and duets and serenades and orange and yellow roses and being stupid cute in love," finishes Tina. "I'd say we know how to do the holiday pretty darn well."

He grins. "Love you, Tee," he says, and offers her a bite of his food. "Want some?"

Tina moves forward to take a bite. "Yum," she declares. "This is so much nicer than going to some fancy snooty restaurant." She returns the gesture, offering some of her own food to him.

Artie takes it, nodding. "Yes. This is better. For one thing, you couldn't go dressed like that, and that would just be depressing."

Tina rolls her eyes at him. "Trust you to get down to the heart of the matter. Although I do like the leather jacket with no shirt look, so really, it's for the best we're eating take-out at the kitchen table." She reaches over to take his hand and hold it in hers. "Okay, so I might not hate the holiday anymore. Halloween's still better, though."

Artie beams at his girlfriend. "You have no idea how happy that makes me," he says, stealing some of Tina's food. "And I'd think you were sick if you said Valentine's was better than Halloween."

"Ha!" Tina looks vindicated. "I knew you were a food thief." She giggles at him affectionately and squeezes his hand gently. "I'm not going to love the holiday, but I do love spending time with you, and it's clear you're a romantic sap, so we'll bump Valentine's up to _might actually look forward to it next year_ instead of hate with every fiber of my being. Hey, I might even get you a better present next year, too."

He sticks his tongue out at her but doesn't deny it. "You might actually look forward to Valentine's Day next year? I'm touched." He looks at her in confusion. "What was wrong with your present this year? I thought it was perfect."

Tina smirks at him, and holds out two fingers. "Two words. Body. Suit." Then, before she can lose her nerve, she holds up two fingers on the other hand. "Two more. Matching. Lingerie." She lowers her hands. "Plus, maybe another t-shirt or something. You _never_ know," she says, her tone teasing.

Artie is stunned into silence by the idea of Tina in _the_ body suit and of her in matching lingerie--actually just lingerie, it didn't even have to match. "Remember what I said a-about being able to essentially celebrate all of the commercialized Valentine's Day stuff every day?"

"I'll see what can be arranged." Tina is still giving him a sultry little smile, despite the heated blush on her cheeks. "Maybe next weekend. Who knows?" She fidgets with her food for a moment, then looks up at him again. "Plus we've got the yellow dress, and yeah, I could _totally_ go for Valentine's activities other days of the year. We're in love, right? Let's celebrate it. Plus, I kinda liked the flowers."

He smiles. "Next weekend sounds perfect. I will bring you flowers. You ready to watch a movie?"

"And the chocolate and the song," Tina trails off, beaming at him. "Okay, I liked all of it. But I love you and if you bring me flowers, I'm definitely going to... I dunno, be sickeningly disgustingly happy. But I'm all right with that." She laughs and tosses him a fortune cookie. "First tell me your fortune, then we can watch super awesome action adventure movies."

Artie grins and cracks open the cookie. "_Someone is going to make you very happy in your future_," he reads and his grin widens. "That one might actually come true. What'd you get?"

"_You are heading for a land of sunshine._" Tina beams as she reads off the fortune. "I like mine too. It might actually happen." She nibbles at her cookie and smiles at him happily, her face vibrant. "So, movie time, Someone That Makes Me Very Happy?"

"I think I like Artie or babe better," he says nonchalantly. "Because "Someone That Makes Me Very Happy" is long. Maybe you could come up with an acronym for it. And yeah, I'm ready. What're we watching?"

Tina pokes him roughly in the side. "This is what I get for trying to be witty." She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him. "No more nicknames from fortune cookies for me!"

He laughs. "I like the idea of making you happy," he says, smiling.

"Even if I start crying happy tears sometimes?" Tina flops down on the sofa and motions for Artie to join her. "Come on, let's find a super awesome action flick."

"Even then. They aren't _that_ bad." After he's settled on the couch, he loops an arm around Tina's shoulders and yawns. "I might fall asleep on you," he warns.

"Tired? Fair enough, I guess I can be your pillow for a bit." She grins down at him, the reaches for the remote control, finally settling on a showing of _Fight Club._ "Is this all right with you?"

Artie nods tiredly, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, this is fine. Very romantic."

Tina looks down about twenty minutes later, and is not too surprised to see that Artie's fallen asleep cuddled up next to her. With a yawn of her own, and a small sigh, she rests her head along his chest, and feels herself slowly drifting off to sleep as well. As far as holidays went, this one wasn't actually too bad. And Tina's _definitely_ looking forward to next weekend.

* * *

**Authors' Notes: **

_Miss Maggie: _A pat on the back for you if you managed to read through all that in one sitting. Because I love you all, I love Artie, and I love Tina... but they totally ran away from the both of us several times throughout the course of the story. But it was fun to write, and I hope you all had fun reading it. Happy Valentine's Day--or Single Awareness Day--or whatever. I hope you all remember that somebody loves you. Even if it's just a crazy Artie/Tina writer. :) Hecate and I have about a dozen other fics/fics-in-progreses we're working on/have written already. I really hope you stick around to read some more of them with us.

_Hecate's Rath: _Including a totally kickass Grownup!Artie/Tina that is currently in the process of completing my life. Next up: the lingerie weekend, to be posted sometime Tuesday or Wednesday. Check it out! Thanks for reading! Drop us a review and tell us your Vday plans!!

Reviews are love, and so are each and every one of you. :)


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